Technical SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them: 2024 Guide
Common Technical SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them
In the world of SEO, technical optimization is essential for helping search engines understand, crawl, and index your site. However, even the most carefully crafted website can suffer from common technical SEO mistakes that negatively impact search rankings and user experience. Here are some of the most frequent technical SEO issues and how to fix them to ensure your website is fully optimized.
1. Slow Page Load Speed
Mistake
We’ve all experienced the frustration of waiting for a website to load. If a page takes too long, users tend to click away, which can lead to high bounce rates and lost opportunities for engagement. Search engines, especially Google, also prioritize speed as an essential ranking factor. When a site loads slowly, it signals a potential roadblock for users, making it less likely to rank highly in search results.
How to Fix It
Start with your images—these are often one of the biggest culprits behind slow load times. Using image compression tools like TinyPNG or WebP can significantly reduce file size without sacrificing visual quality, helping your pages load faster.
Next, take a closer look at your code. Sometimes, even small adjustments like removing unnecessary spaces, comments, or unused code can make a noticeable difference. Combining CSS and JavaScript files also helps by reducing the number of server requests needed to load the page.
Another effective way to improve speed is by implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A CDN distributes your content across multiple servers around the world, allowing users to load data from a server that’s geographically closer to them. This not only speeds up the experience for users across different regions but also reduces the load on your primary server.
Finally, consider enabling browser caching. This allows certain elements of your site, like images and stylesheets, to be stored temporarily on a user’s device, so they don’t need to reload everything each time they visit your site. Altogether, these steps can have a huge impact on page speed, making your website more user-friendly and improving its chances in search rankings.
2. Lack of Mobile Optimization
Mistake
With more people browsing the web on mobile devices than ever before, a website that isn’t mobile-friendly risks losing a huge portion of its audience. Google also prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in its rankings, following its shift to Mobile-First Indexing. If your site doesn’t work well on smartphones and tablets, it can lead to poor user experiences, higher bounce rates, and lower search rankings.
How to Fix It
Start by implementing responsive design, which ensures that your website adapts seamlessly to any screen size, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. This approach adjusts the layout, images, and text sizes based on the user’s device, creating a smoother, more enjoyable experience.
Pay special attention to navigation elements like buttons and links. On a mobile screen, these need to be easily clickable and appropriately spaced to avoid accidental taps. Users should be able to navigate your site with ease, without zooming in or struggling to find what they’re looking for. Small adjustments like enlarging tap targets and rethinking layout can make a big difference in user satisfaction.
Testing is key here. Regularly view your site on different mobile devices to catch any design or functionality issues. Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help identify specific areas that need improvement, giving you direct feedback on how search engines perceive your site on mobile.
Finally, consider mobile page load speed. Mobile users expect quick load times, often even more so than desktop users. Ensuring that images, scripts, and videos are optimized for mobile can greatly improve loading performance. A mobile-friendly site doesn’t just improve SEO — it makes your content more accessible to a growing mobile audience, building stronger engagement and brand trust in the long run.
3. Missing or Incorrect Canonical Tags
Mistake
Duplicate content can be a silent SEO killer. When you have similar or identical content on multiple pages, search engines can struggle to determine which version to prioritize, potentially splitting ranking authority between pages or even penalizing your site. Missing or improperly set canonical tags are a common cause of duplicate content issues, leading to confusion for search engines and diluting your SEO efforts.
How to Fix It
Canonical tags help search engines identify the “preferred” version of a page, preventing duplication problems and consolidating ranking signals to a single URL. Start by identifying any instances of duplicate or near-duplicate content on your site. This could include pages with similar product descriptions, category pages, or even different versions of the same page (such as http vs. https or with and without “www”).
Once you’ve identified duplicate content, use canonical tags to signal the main version of each page to search engines. Place the canonical tag in the HTML of the page, linking back to the preferred URL. This way, even if users or search engines stumble upon alternate versions, you’re guiding them back to the primary page that should hold the ranking authority.
Regular audits are helpful here, especially as your site grows or if you’re frequently updating content. Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs can help you detect duplicate content issues and check for missing or incorrect canonical tags. If you manage a large site with similar pages, setting up canonical tags consistently can prevent search engines from getting confused, keeping your SEO strategy intact and focused.
In addition to using canonical tags, you can also streamline your URL structure to avoid accidental duplications. By maintaining a clean, organized URL structure, you make it easier for search engines to understand your site’s hierarchy, reducing the likelihood of duplicate content issues altogether.
4. Broken Links and 404 Errors
Mistake
Broken links and 404 errors can frustrate users and harm your site’s credibility. When users click on a link expecting relevant content but instead land on a 404 error page, it creates a negative experience and often leads them to leave your site. Search engines notice this, and too many broken links can lead to lower rankings because they signal poor site maintenance and a lack of reliability.
How to Fix It
Regularly audit your site for broken links. Tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console can help you identify any links that no longer lead to valid pages. Once you’ve pinpointed broken links, you have a few options for fixing them.
For internal links, the best approach is to either update the link to point to a relevant, existing page or, if the page no longer exists, create a 301 redirect to a similar or updated page. This way, users and search engines are smoothly redirected to valuable content instead of a dead end. External links that lead to 404 errors can be updated to more current or accurate resources, keeping your content reliable and useful.
It’s also helpful to create a custom 404 page. Instead of showing a generic error message, a custom 404 page can guide users back to useful sections of your site, suggest similar content, or even include a search bar to help them find what they need. A friendly, helpful 404 page can keep users on your site a little longer, reducing the impact of a broken link.
In addition to these fixes, make it a habit to monitor your site for broken links, especially after updates or changes. By keeping your links in good shape, you’re providing a better user experience and signaling to search engines that your site is well-maintained and worth ranking.
5. Missing or Incorrectly Implemented SSL Certificates
Mistake
In today’s internet landscape, security is a top priority for both users and search engines. Websites without SSL certificates (which enable HTTPS) are often flagged as "Not Secure," which can deter visitors from trusting your site. Moreover, Google considers HTTPS a ranking factor, meaning a missing or improperly implemented SSL certificate could harm your SEO and search rankings.
How to Fix It
Start by ensuring that your site has an SSL certificate installed. Many hosting providers offer SSL certificates, and some even provide them for free. Once the certificate is installed, check that all pages on your site are accessible through HTTPS and not HTTP. You can do this by navigating to different pages on your site and making sure the “https://” prefix appears in the URL bar.
To avoid issues with duplicate content and to ensure all users are directed to the secure version of your site, set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS for every page. This ensures that anyone who accesses an HTTP link will automatically be taken to the secure HTTPS version.
Next, make sure all internal links, images, scripts, and resources on your site are linked through HTTPS. Sometimes, mixed content (when some resources load via HTTP while the main page is HTTPS) can cause warnings for users and impact site performance.
Finally, use tools like SSL Labs’ SSL Test to check your certificate’s configuration and validity. This step can help you identify any potential issues and confirm that your SSL certificate is properly implemented and up to date. By securing your site with HTTPS, you not only improve your SEO and search rankings but also establish a safer, more trustworthy environment for your users.
6. Poor URL Structure
Mistake
A well-organized URL structure is essential for both users and search engines. URLs that are too long, contain random characters, or lack descriptive keywords make it harder for users to understand the content of a page at a glance. They also make it more challenging for search engines to crawl and interpret your site’s content, potentially impacting rankings and user trust.
How to Fix It
Aim to create clean, descriptive URLs that clearly reflect the content of each page. Instead of a URL like example.com/post?id=12345, opt for something more readable and informative, like example.com/technical-seo-tips. This not only improves user experience but also gives search engines valuable context about the page content.
When creating URLs, keep them short and straightforward. Avoid using unnecessary numbers, symbols, or excessive keywords that make the link look cluttered. Use hyphens to separate words, as search engines read hyphens as spaces (e.g., example.com/seo-guide rather than example.com/seo_guide).
Establish a logical hierarchy within your URL structure, especially for sites with multiple categories or sections. For example, if you’re running an e-commerce site, structure product URLs to follow a clear path, like example.com/clothing/men/shirts rather than example.com/123clothesmanXYZ. This structure not only improves navigation for users but also signals to search engines how your content is organized.
If you need to update existing URLs, remember to set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new ones. This ensures that you don’t lose any ranking authority associated with the original URLs and helps prevent users from encountering broken links.
A clean, organized URL structure makes your site easier to navigate, builds user trust, and improves search engine rankings, creating a better experience for everyone involved.
7. Missing or Misconfigured Robots.txt File
Mistake
The Robots.txt file plays a critical role in guiding search engines on how to crawl your site. Without it, or if it’s incorrectly configured, search engines might crawl pages you don’t want indexed (such as staging pages or duplicate content), or they may miss important pages that should be indexed. A misconfigured Robots.txt file can lead to significant SEO issues, such as poor rankings or even exclusion from search results.
How to Fix It
First, check if your site has a Robots.txt file by typing /robots.txt at the end of your domain (e.g., example.com/robots.txt). If the file doesn’t exist, create one in your site’s root directory to control how search engines access specific pages.
When setting up the file, specify any pages or folders you don’t want search engines to crawl, such as internal resources or duplicate pages. However, be cautious—blocking too many pages or important content sections (like your blog or product pages) can limit your site’s visibility. To avoid errors, make sure only low-priority or confidential content is blocked.
For sites that use staging or test environments, double-check that these environments are blocked in Robots.txt. This prevents search engines from indexing pages that aren’t meant for the public or that might contain duplicate content.
Using Google’s Robots.txt Tester (available in Google Search Console) can help you verify that your settings are accurate. This tool allows you to test which pages are accessible or restricted, ensuring search engines follow the right instructions. Regularly reviewing and updating your Robots.txt file is a best practice, especially after adding new content or making changes to your site.
By managing your Robots.txt file effectively, you help search engines focus on the most important pages, improving your site’s SEO and user experience.
8. Ignoring Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Mistake
Structured data, or schema markup, is a type of code added to your website to help search engines understand your content more deeply. When structured data is missing, search engines may miss important details that could help improve your search visibility. Schema markup allows your content to appear as rich snippets—like reviews, ratings, FAQs, or product details—in search results, which can attract more clicks. Ignoring it means missing out on these valuable enhancements.
How to Fix It
Start by identifying the key types of content on your site that could benefit from structured data. For example, if you have a recipe blog, adding recipe schema can show ingredients and cooking times directly in the search results. For e-commerce sites, product schema can display pricing, availability, and reviews, which are especially useful in attracting potential customers.
Once you know what schema types apply to your site, use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or Schema.org to generate and implement the code. Adding schema markup might seem technical, but many content management systems (CMS) now offer plugins that make it easier. For instance, WordPress has several SEO plugins that allow you to add structured data to your pages without needing to write code.
After implementing schema markup, it’s essential to test it using Google’s Rich Results Test or the Structured Data Testing Tool. These tools show you if your structured data is set up correctly and if it’s eligible for rich results in search.
Finally, prioritize schema markup for high-value pages like products, services, or frequently asked questions, as these are most likely to boost click-through rates and improve visibility in search results. By leveraging structured data, you make your content more informative and appealing, giving it a better chance to stand out in crowded search results.
Conclusion
Technical SEO is the backbone of an effective search optimization strategy. By identifying and fixing these common technical SEO mistakes, you’ll ensure that your website performs well, is easy for search engines to crawl, and offers a positive experience for users. If you’re unsure about managing these technical details yourself, consider consulting technical SEO services to conduct a full audit and optimize your site effectively. With a technically sound website, you can boost your visibility, increase organic traffic, and achieve long-term SEO success.
